[Quality assurance in medical laboratories-an indispensability with benefits and risks]

The importance of quality assurance (QA) and quality management (QM) in medical laboratories has been a topic in many political and public discussions, especially since the beginning of the SARS-CoV‑2 pandemic. Uniform standards are required in order to create comparability not only among medical laboratories in Germany, but also across national borders. There are two leading systems in Germany: The Guideline of the German Medical Association (Rili-BÄK) and accreditation according to DIN EN ISO 15189.This article is intended to raise awareness of quality in medical laboratories to ensure patient safety through competent diagnostics on the patient. A literature search was carried out, including legal texts, standards, and further QM documents and publications. Furthermore, empirical values from representatives of various institutions are considered.A comprehensive QM system significantly supports work in medical laboratory diagnostics. Maintaining trust in the efficiency of medical laboratories and the facilities that support them is of great importance for the best possible care for the population. The additional effort associated with accreditation is justified with regard to patient safety but should not experience any additional bureaucracy.